Tennessee prosecutors sue opioid drug makers

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Three Tennessee county prosecutors and the guardian of a baby born dependent on drugs have filed a lawsuit against the makers of several opioid drugs, accusing the companies of unleashing an epidemic by deceptive marketing practices that downplayed the addiction risks with their painkillers.

The suit was filed Tuesday by three conservative district attorneys who represent areas in the mountainous region of upper east Tennessee in Appalachia, which has been the epicenter of the prescription drug epidemic that has ravaged the country. The lawsuit sites research showing that Tennessee has the second highest statewide opioid prescription rate in the country outside West Virginia.

The suit is among a growing number of lawsuits filed against pharmaceutical companies that make opioids that have been filed across the country.